[Tig] _Hugo_

I had the chance recently to see _Hugo_, the Scorsese film.
I had to disassociate myself from my own recollections of Paris, very different from
the process shots especially at the opening of the film (and particularly in shots from
a bridge over the Seine that show the Louvre in the background with what look like
cartoon renditions of trees); also the regular snowflakes and too-perfect neighborhoods
of the arrondissements of central Paris. These might have been partially responsible for the
170 million dollar budget of the film, and in my humble opinion need not have been so
elaborate. There is also a train station in a few long shots that doesn't exist so close to the
Seine, unless I'm mistaken.
Yet, if you're the connoisseur of lighting that I am, you find that the medium shots, the closeups,
the various tableaux that take you into the heart of the film, it's extraordinary the play of light and
shadow, and the unity of color that keeps the film in its period.
My hearty congratulations to any of the colorists; Robert Richardson, DoP; the Art Direction (10
people listed); and the Director, Scorsese.
Other than the false environment of the long aerial shots of Paris, I found this film to be one of high
art, especially for cinematography (lighting). Story and characterization seemed to grow on me as
it unfolded, but there is nothing like gorgeous cinema to keep you mesmerized.
Can anyone say what the capture medium was?
Rob
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Rob Lingelbach http://rob.colorist.org
TIG founder/admin, colorist